Latest scapegoat

Latest scapegoat, originally uploaded by JumpinJack.

A text from my cyber-friend Jumping Jack that rings a note with me.

After caving in to demands of sheep breeders (even though sheep never played any major role in stock breeding in Slovenia, which is OTOH proudly boasting about "preserving" its uniquely diverse environment) and approving killing off more than a half of brown bear and wolf population, the Ministry of Environment is now approving more-or-less unlimited hunting of grey crows to please the farmers.

Crows are allegedly responsible for huge losses of crop and (also allegedly) "decimating the population of other birds" (the latter most likely claimed just to hush the environmentalists) - though no major study was actually done about it and in spite of EU directives about protecting all bird species.

Well, crows certainly aren't my favourite birds either - and yes, they are omnivorous and sometimes hunt smaller birds and steal their eggs - but fer cryin' out loud, that's no reason to exterminate them (and destroy the natural balance again in a new way)!

If you want to protect smaller birds, stop destroying their habitats, chopping down old, hollow trees and poisoning them with pesticides and herbicides. Rather start feeding them in winter, provide them with nesting birdhouses and plant a new hedge or a tree in your backyard, instead of those you chopped down to make a parking lot for your new car.

As far as the farmers are concerned - better start worrying about the urban sprawl that turns your farming land into suburbs at alarming rate. Not to mention climate changes (that cattle breeders also contribute quite a lot to). Last year's hail storms destroyed the crop more completely that any birds - even in hitchcockian quantities - could ever do.

Why don't you install those bloody nets - they'll keep out the hail as well as birds. If the crows won't get so much free food, their population will go down by itself and stabilise at a new natural balance.Plus first and foremost - stop growing those genetically modified plants, containing toxins that not only make people, birds and livestock sick and sterile, but also demand that you use herbicides to fight weeds, instead of mowing etc. etc.

Fer goodness sake, start living with the land, instead of fighting it all the time!

.. and I agree with JJ. Small, natural approaches. Feeding birds, protecting animals not "taking charge of them".

We are so arrogant, believing that we control the planet, we control animals and we control everything.

Some days I feel we are simply passers-by and that "the planet" tolerates human kind - and please stop talking about THE PLANET like it was your best friend or some human-like entity.

Do you believe the arrogance? "The planet" has been gently rolling on for MILLIONS OF YEARS and WE think WE can make a difference?

People who want to "save the planet" don't want to do that, they want to save THEIR SKIN. Even more, they want YOU to do something while they navigate on large ships, get MILLIONS OF DOLLARS from governments and generally make life difficult for others. Sure we should be careful, but SAVING THE PLANET??? Come on give me a break will ya?

When "the planet" gets tired, to paraphrase George Carlin, it will simply shake US off like a bunch of flees and integrate the hydro-carbon, plastic and the waste we have left behind into a new, renewed echo-system.

Save the planet.

Sheeesh, the arrogance of human kind is unbelievable.